Steam pump



April 1, 1924. 1,488,602

J. J. KING STEAM PUMP Filed May 1. 1919 1 s Sheets-Sheet 1 April 1 1924.

J. J. KING STEAM PUMP Filed May I 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. J. KING STEAM PUMP April 1 1924.

Filed May 1. 1919 5 Sheets- Shet 4 5 m. I I Q I April 1,1924.

J. J. KING STEAM PUMP Fi1 ed May 1, 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Qua 1T Jazz Patented Apr. 1, 1924.

FF! CE JOHN 3. KING, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

STEAM PUMP.

Application filed Mav 1,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. KING, a citizen of the United States, residing in Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Steam Pumps, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the'drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to steampumps of that character in which main and auxiliary valves are employed and is herein shown as embodied in a steam pump in whlch the said valves are actuated by thesteam em- The invention has for its object to provide a pump of the character described, which is eflicient, inexpensive in cost, economical in the use of steam, can be operated without shocks and blows to the operating parts, is smooth and noiseless when running, and with which longer service of the valves and valve seats in the waterpump driven thereby is obtained.

The particularfeatures of the invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Fig 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of a steam pump embodying this invention, the section being taken on the line 11,- Fig. 2;

Fig. 2, a cross section of Fig.1 on the line 2-2;

Fig. 3, a plan of the valve mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. i, a sectionlike Fig. 1 with thepiston and valves in a different position;

Fig. 5, a side elevation of the pump cylinder.

Fig. 6, a plan of the same;

Fig. 7, an end elevation of Fig. looking toward the right;

Figs. 8 and 9, details of one of the control valves shown in Fig. 6;

Figs. 10, 11 and 12, details to illustrate the operation of the control'valves shown in Figs. 6, 8 and9.

Figs. 13 and 14, details of themain valve, and

Fig. 15, a diagrammatic view to be referred to.

Referring to the drawing in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown, lrepresents the cylinder, 2 the piston and 3 the piston rod of a steam pump outer end of the valve chest 15.

1919. SeIiaI No. 293,943.

of usual or known construction, which is provided with the passages 4 and 5 leading from the opposite ends of the cylinder toward the center thereof and to the seat 6 for a main slide valve 7, which is of D- form and controls communication of the ports l and 5 with the exhaust port 8.' The main slide valve 7 is operated by a piston 12 located in a cylinder 11 mounted upon the steam cylinder 1 and communicating with a steam supply as will be described, and the, piston .12 is reciprocated by steam admitted into the opposite ends of the cylinder l1 and controlled by auxiliary valves 13, 14, located in cylinders or valve chests ,15, 16, mounted upon thecylinder 11 and separated by. walls 17, through which is passed a rod 18 connecting the auxiliary valves 13, 14c, so that the latter move as a unit.

The operation of the auxiliary valves is controlled by the main valve 7, and to this end, the main valve 7 is provided on its under face with elongated cavities 20, 21, (see Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 15), one ofwhich as co-operates with three port-s 22, 23, 24 and the other as 21 co-operates with three ports 25, 26, 27. The port 23 communicates through a passage 28 with the outer end of the valve chest 16, and the port 26 communicates through a passage 29 with the The ports 24, 27 communicate through passages30,.31 with the, steam pump cylinder 1 near the opposite ends of the latter, and the ports 2, communicate with the steam passages l, 5, leading to the opposite ends of the cylinder 1.

The cavities 20, 21, in the main valve 7 are arranged so that when the main valve 7 is in the right hand position as shown in Fig. 15, the outer end of the valve chest 16 is connected with one end of the'main steam cylinder 1 and the outer end of the other valve chest 15 is connected with the exhaust, and when themain valve 7 is in the left hand position as shownin dotted lines, Fig. 15,'the outer end of the valve chest '16 is connectedwith the exhaust, and the outer end of the valve chest 15 is connected with the main steam cylinder. It will thus ,be

seen that by means of the cavities 20, 21,

in the main valve7co-operating with the ports in the seat of said main valve, a free and unrestricted passage for the steam is aliorded from the main steam cylinder to Ill) the auxiliary valve chests or cylinders. Furthermore, the auxiliary piston valves 13, 14, can be provided with piston rings to make a steam tight fit with the cylinders 15, 16

and enable the auxiliary piston valves to be made sufficiently smaller than said cylinders to avoid freezing or sticking of the piston valves when steam at a relatively high temperature is used, thereby ensuring the pump working properly under all conditions of use.

Provision is made for cushioning the auxiliary piston valves and to this end, the cylinders of said auxiliary valves are provided near their inner or adjacent ends, with ports which are connected by passages 32, 33 with the live steam spaces of the cylinder 11 containing the main valve 7.

The passages 32, 33 are closed by the inner ends of the auxiliary valves 13, 14, when the latter are near the inner end walls of their cylinders, and steam is confined between said inner end walls and said piston valves, which forms effective cushions to prevent the valves 13, 14 from striking the inner end walls or heads of the cylinders in which. they are located.

The auxiliary valves 13, 14, also control the operation of the piston 12 which actuates the main valve 7, and for this purpose the I inner end of the valve chest or cylinder 15 is connected by a passage 34 with one end of the cylinder 11, whose opposite end is connected by a passage 35 with the inner end of the valve chest or cylinder 16. The passages 32, 34 are uncovered by the auxiliary valve 13 when it moves to the left, and live steam from the steam space of the cylinder of the piston 12 can pass through the passage 32 into the auxiliary valve cylinder 15 and out therefrom through the passage into the right hand end of the cylinder 11, where it acts on the piston 12 to move it and the valve 7 to the left.

\Vhen the auxiliary piston valve 14 moves to the left, it covers the passages 33, 35, and cuts off the left hand end of the cylinder 11 containing the piston valve 12 from the auxiliary valve chest 16, and cuts off the latter from the live steam space of the cylinder 11.

The auxiliary valve chests or cylinders are also connected with the cylinder 11 contain ing the main valve 7 near the outer ends of the latter, by passages 36, 37, which constitute exhaust passages for the cylinder 11 into the valve chests 15, 16, and which are connected with the exhaust chambers 38, 39 formed in the said chests by reduced portions of the auxiliary piston valves between their opposite ends.

The exhaust chambers 38, 39 are always in communication with passage 40 which is connected by passage 41 with the main exhaust.

As represented in Fig. 15, the main steam piston 2 is moving to the right as indicated by the arrow 42, and at such time the main valve piston 12 is at the right hand end of its cylinder, and the auxiliary valves 13, 14, are at the right hand end of their cylinders.

WVith the parts in these positions, it will be observed that the port 5 is uncovered by the main valve and live steam is being admitted into the left hand end of the cylinder 1 behind the piston 2. It will thus be observed that the auxiliary valve chest 16 is connected by the passage'28, cavity 20 and passage 30 with the right hand end of the main steam cylinder, and its valve 14 uncovers the passages 33, 35, so that the valve chest 16 is connected with the steam space of the cylinder 11 and with the left hand end of the cylinder 11 for the passage of steam thereinto. At the same time the auxiliary valve 13 covers the passages 32, 34, so that its chest is cut oil from the opposite end of the cylinder 11 and from the steam space of said cylinder. As a result the auxiliary valves 13, 14, the main valve 7 and its actuating piston 12 remain stationary while the piston is making the greater part of its return strol-Ie. then, however, the piston 2 approaches the end of its return stroke, it covers and then uncovers one of a plurality of auxiliary passages 44 leading from the right hand end of the steam cylinder 1 to the passage 30, and when this occurs, live steam from behind the piston can pass through the passages 44, 30, cavity 20 in the main valve and passage 28 into the auxiliary valve chest 16 behind the valve- 14, so as to balance the steam pressure acting on the opposite end of the auxiliary valve 14, and permit the auxiliary valves to be initially started on their movement in the direction of the a row by the steam, which forms the cushion behind the inner end of 1 the valve 13 and the inner end wall of the chest 15. As soon as the auxiliary valves are thus started, the passages 32, 34 are uncovered and live steam from the steam space of the main valve chest or cylinder 11 is ad mitted into the valve chest 15, and completes the movement of the auxiliary valves in the direction indicated by the arrow 90 in Fig. 15. As soon as the auxiliary valve 13 uncovers the passage 34, steam is admitted into the right hand end of the cylinder 11, which moves the piston 12 in the direct-ion of the arrow 90 to the left hand end of the cylinder, and said piston moves the main valve 7 to the left. The port 4 is uncovered and steam is admitted into the main cylinder 1 behind the piston 2 to move the latter to the left, indicated by the arrow 43, Fig. 15, and the main port 5 is connected with the main exhaust. At the same time, the cavities 20,

21 are brought into a different relation to the auxiliary ports 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 in the valve seat 6.

By reference to Fig. 15, it will be seen that the cavity 21 connects the ports 26, 2?,

and the valve 7 closes the port 25, and that the cavity 20 connects the ports 22, 23, and the valve 7 closes the port 24. As a result, the,

main valve 7, its actuating piston 12 and the auxiliary valves 13, 14, remain stationary while the main piston 2 is making the greater part of its return stroke, or until one of a plurality of auxiliary passages 10 is covered and then uncovered by the piston 2, whereupon live steam passes freely through the passages 10, 31, cavity 21 and passage 29 into the valve chest 15 to balance the auxiliary valve 13 and permit the steam cushion between the inner end of the auxiliary valve 14 and the inner wall or the chest 16 to start the auxiliary valves and uncover the passages 33, 35, whereupon live steam from the steam space of the valve cylinder 11 passes into the chest 16 behind the valve14'and completes the movement of the auxiliary Valves. Live steam also passes from the valve chest 16 through the passage 35 into the left hand end of the main valve cylinder 11 behind the piston therein so as to move the piston and main valve 7 to the left.

It is preferred to provide the main cylinder, (see Figs. 1, 4, 5, 7, S and 9) on opposite sides of its longitudinal center with a plurality of the auxiliary ports 10, 44, which are arranged so that they may be uncovered in succession by the main piston 2, and thereby enable the auxiliary valves to be operated at dil'terent portions of the stroke of the main piston, so as to regulate the length of the stroke of the same, and thereby prevent the piston striking the heads of the cylinder irrespective of the velocity of the piston in its movement, consequently avoiding blows and noise.

It is also preferred to arrange the auxiliary ports in pairs and to place the same under the control of the operator, so that he can select which port or. the series shall be connected with the auxiliary valve chest, and so that the ports of each pair shallbe arranged with relation to the piston to avoid premature operation of the auxiliary valves, which is effected by providing that when the first port of each pair in the cylinder is covered by the piston, the second port of the said pair will be open to the exhaust side of the piston and thereby enable any leakage of steam by the piston and into the first port of the selected pair, to pass back into the cylinder on the exhaust side of the piston. The ports of each pair are also arranged so that the second port is closed by the piston before the first port is opened to the pressure side of the piston.

To this end the main cylinder 1 is provided on opposite sides of the path of movement of the main valve 7 with valve seats 45, 46, (see Figs. 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7) having a plurality of ports 47, 48, corresponding in number with the auxiliary ports 10, 44,

in the cylinder 1 and connected therewith by suitable passages 49, 50, as represented by dotted lines in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. The valve seats 45, 46, also have ports 51, 52, which are connected by passages 30, 31, with the ports 24, 27 in the seat 6 of the main valve 7. The control valve seats 45, 46, are provided with valves 53, 54, preferably D- 'valvcs, which are provided with projections or bosses 153 (see Figs. 10, 11, and 12) to co-operate with certain of the ports 47, 48 in their seats. The valves 53, 54 are located within suitable casings 55 afiixed to the main cylinder, and said valves are provided with stems or rods 56 having pointers or indexes 57, which co-operate with graduations or marks 58 to indicate the position of the control valves. The valves may be reciprooated by hand wheels 59 on sleeves 60 which engage threaded portions of the valve stems 56.

In the present instance, each control valve governs three pairs qt ports in its seat, which are connected by passages with three pairs of ports in the main cylinder 1 on opp'osite sides of the longitudinal centerof the same.

The ports in the valve seat 45 are ar ranged so that in one position of the valve 53, the ports 47 constituting one pair are uncovered and the other pairs of ports are closed as represented in Fig. 12. case the piston 2 is given its longest travel, as these are the end ports in the cylinder.

By moving the valve 53 to the position shown in Fig. 10, a pair of ports 47 are opened and the other pairs closed, and in this case the piston 2 is given its shortest stroke.

By moving the valve 53 to an immediate position shown in Fig. 11, a third pair of ports 47 is opened and the other pairs closed, and in this case the piston is given a length of stroke between the lengths of the first two strokes. In Fig. 15, the passage of steam from the maincylinder to the seat of the main valve 7 is represented as a continuous passage, a portion of which between its ends represents the control valve and its ports.

In Fig. 15 only one pair of ports leading from each end of the cylinder is shown to avoid confusion. The piston 2 is shown as closing the port 30 and asopening the port 44 of the pair at the right hand end of the cylinder. As a result of the relation of the ports of each pair and the piston, it will be seen that when the piston on its movement in the direction of the arrow 42 closes the port 30 of the pair at the right hand end of the cylinder, the port 44 of said pair will be left wholly or partially opened, so that any steam which may leak by the piston and enter the port 44 will not pass to the chest 16 of the auxiliary valve In this llll) 14, but will pass through the port 30 to the exhaust side of the piston, thereby preventing premature ope-ration of the main valve 7. It will also be observed, that on the further inovcn'ient of the piston in the direction of arrow 42, the port 30 is closed before the port as is opened, with the result that the passage of steam to the exhaust through the port 30 is closed, and the steam passes through the port 10 and becomes effective to operate the main valve.

The control valves 53, are maintained on their seats by steam acting on their back side and admitted into their chest by pipes 61 (see Fig. 7) suitably connected with the steam supply.

It may be preferred to provide the pump with the cut oil valves as described, but it is not desired to limit the invention in this respect. l urthermore one embodiment of the invention is herein shown, but it is not desired to limit the invention to the particular construction shown.

Claims.

1. In a steam pump, in combination, a main cylinder, a piston reciprocating therein, a main valve chest provided with the usual steam inlet and exhaust ports communicating with the opposite ends of said cylinder, a main valve in said valve chest controlling said ports, a piston in said valve chest to operate said main valve, auxiliary valve chests, valves therein, passages connecting said auxiliary valve chests with the opposite ends of the main valve chest to admit steam into the latter, passages connecting said auxiliary valve chests with the steam space of the main valve chest to admit steam from the main valve chest into said auxiliary valve chests, steam passages connecting the auxiliary valve chests with auxiliary ports in the main valve seat, passages connecting said main valve chest with the said auxiliary valve chest for exhausting the steam from the main valve chest, steam passages connecting the main cylinder between its' ends with auxiliary ports in the seat of the main valve chest, passages connecting other auxiliary ports in the seat of the main valve with the passages leading to the opposite ends of the main cylinder, and cavities in the underside of said main valve controlling connection of the auxiliary ports in the seat of the main valve with each other to connect the main cylinder with the auxiliary valve chests for the free passage of steam from the main cylinder into said auxiliary valve chests and to obtain an unbalanced pressure on said auxiliary valves.

2. Ina steam pump, in combination, a main steam cylinder, a piston reciprocating therein, a main valve chest, a main slide valve therein controlling the passage of steam into and out of said main cylinder, a piston in said main valve chest to actuate said main valve, auxiliary valve chests, auxiliary valves therein controlling the action of the piston in said main valve chest, and passages for connecting said auxiliary valve chests with said main cylinder through said main valve chest for admission of steam from the said main cylinder into said auxiliary valve chests, said passages being controlled by the said main slide valve and additional passages connecting said auxiliary valve chests with the ends of said main valve chest, said additional passages being controlled by said auxiliary valves which admit steam into the main valve chest to actuate the piston therein under one condition and to cut oil said steam and form cushions for said piston under another condition.

8. In a steam pump, in combination, a main steam cylinder provided with ports at its opposite ends and with a plurality of auxiliary ports between its ends, an auxiliary valve actuated by steam passing from said'c-ylinder through said auxiliary ports, a steam-actuated main valve controlling the passage of steam into the main cylinder and from the latter to the auxiliary valve, and a control valve cooperating with a plurality of the auxiliary ports in the main cylinder to select which ports will be operatively connected with the auxiliary valve by said main valve.

4. In a steam pump, a main steam cylinder, a main valve chest, and an auxiliary valve chest, said main valve chest having a seat provided with main steam inlet and exhaust ports connected with the opposite ends of said cylinder and with a main exhaust port and also having auxiliary ports connected with the main steam ports leading to the opposite ends of the cylinder and auxiliary ports leading to said auxiliary valve chest, a main valve located in said main valve chest and controlling the main steam ports and said auxiliary ports to obtain in the auxiliary valve chest an unbalanced condition of the auxiliary valve therein, and said auxiliary valve chest having ports connecting it with the main valve chest to obtain a cushion of live steam for said auxiliary valve at the end of its movement in onedirection and to enable said steam cushion to be utilized for initially starting the movement of said auxiliary valve in the opposite direction.

5. In a steam pump, in combination, a main cylinder, a piston reciprocating therein, a main valve chest, a main valve therein controlling the passage of steam into and out of said main cylinder, a piston in said main valve chest to actuate said main valve, auxiliary valve chests, auxiliary valves therein controlling the action of the piston in said main valve chest, passages for connecting said auxiliary valve chests with said main valve chest for the admission of live steam into said auxiliary valve chests to form cushions for said auxiliary valves, passages connecting said auxiliary valve chests With said main cylinder through said main valve chest for admission of steam from said main cylinder into said auxiliary valve chests to balance the live steam pressure therein, and permit the said steam cushions to initially start movement of said auxiliary valves, said latter passages being controlled 10 by said main valve.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN J. KING. 

